1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hand-held automatic firearm comprising a trigger mechanism, a hammer, which is arranged to be cocked as the breech-block recoils, a sustained-fire lever, which is controlled by the breechblock and locks the hammer as the breechblock advances, a trigger slider, which is movable by the trigger against spring force from an initial position to a single-shot position and further to a sustained-fire position, and a pair of mutually cooperating levers, which respectively constitute a release member and a disconnector member and are adapted each to enter the path of movement of a hammer extension and to assume a position that depends on the position of the trigger slider.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Firearms which comprise a firing hammer and such trigger mechanism can be operated in a sustained-fire mode, in which the hammer is cocked by the breech-block as it recoils and the cocked hammer can be locked by the sustained-fire lever until the advancing breech-block has been locked, whereafter the sustained-fire lever under the control of the breechblock releases the hammer and the hammer strikes forwardly and by means of a firing pin fires the cartridge. In the sustained-fire mode that operation is continually repeated as long as the trigger remains pulled and only when the trigger is released do the disconnector and release members become effective so that just as during the single-shot mode they catch the cocked hammer and independently of the sustained-fire lever do not release the cocked hammer until the trigger is pulled again. In the single-shot mode the hammer is released by a movement of the release member as it engages a hammer extension from above and the disconnector member simultaneously enters the path of that hammer extension and during the next recoil automatically catches the hammer in its cocked position so that only one shot can be discharged. Upon the release of the trigger, the release member is moved rearwardly so that it again engages the hammer extension from above and the disconnector member leaves the path of the hammer extension when the release member has engaged the hammer extension. In the prior art, the release member and the disconnector member consist of generally upright levers, which are pivoted on transverse axes or consist of vertical sliders. That arrangement involves a considerable overall height and requires a substantial distance between the grip of the firearm and the line of recoil action. Besides, the handling of the firearm will be difficult and the accuracy of fire which can be achieved will be adversely affected.